


Let Me Help You This Time

by KaylaRachille



Series: Ashivia Scene Fix-Its and Episode Alternate Endings [13]
Category: All American (TV)
Genre: Alternate Ending, Breaking Up & Making Up, Confessions, Emotional Hurt/Comfort, Episode Related, F/M, Fix-It, Fix-It of Sorts, Hurt/Comfort, Implied/Referenced Drug Addiction, Implied/Referenced Underage Drinking, Light Angst, Secrets, Strained Relationships
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2021-02-28
Updated: 2021-02-28
Packaged: 2021-03-17 23:40:23
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,015
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/29724993
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/KaylaRachille/pseuds/KaylaRachille
Summary: Alternate ending to Season Three Episode Three'High Expectations':After talking to Vanessa, Asher is now starting to think that something more is going on with Olivia than he initially thought.Snippet from Story:“I was started to think you were avoiding me,” Asher exclaims with a nervous grin after Olivia opens the front door.“It’s eight o’clock on a Saturday morning I was sleeping,” Olivia tells him with her voice coming out slightly slurred as she rubs away the smeared mascara from under her right eye.“Oh, sorry I didn’t mean to wake you up.” Asher immediately apologizes not missing the way that Olivia is squinting against the bright early morning sunlight as he hopes the reason is only because she is still half asleep but deep down, he has his suspicions that it’s from something else. “But I thought we could go grab some breakfast.” He explains quickly before she can shut the door in his face in an effort to shut him out once more.(Contains Spoilers)
Relationships: Asher Adams/Olivia Baker
Series: Ashivia Scene Fix-Its and Episode Alternate Endings [13]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1848343
Comments: 2
Kudos: 1





	Let Me Help You This Time

**Author's Note:**

> Hi, y'all! 😀
> 
> I am so excited to be back with another part of my _Ashivia Fix-It Series_ and I hope it finds each of you doing well! And I want to thank you all so much for reading this series and my other stories too!
> 
> So, this story in this story Asher will be trying to get Olivia to open up to him about what's going on with her. 
> 
> Please enjoy it! <3

The morning after the first football game of the season which Asher didn’t play in but he did gladly get to watch from the stands with Olivia by his side he takes in a deep breath willing his nerves to disappear as he rings the Baker’s doorbell after standing on their front porch for the last five minutes with Vanessa’s words from the night before. 

_“Did it ever occur to you that the reason why Olivia is okay with what happened is because she is hiding something too?”_

And it’s not that the thought hadn’t crossed his mind ever since he came back from the cruise with his mom, and he could feel the distance between them but hearing it from someone else’s mouth just made it all that more real.

He lets out a long breath through his mouth as he looks down at his phone to find no returned calls or answers to his text messages, he sent to Olivia last night and this morning asking her if she was okay.

But of course, he knew that she was anything but okay and he wanted to know why.

He _needed_ to know why.

“I was started to think you were avoiding me,” Asher exclaims with a nervous grin after Olivia opens the front door. 

“It’s eight o’clock on a Saturday morning I was sleeping,” Olivia tells him with her voice coming out slightly slurred as she rubs away the smeared mascara from under her right eye.

“Oh, sorry I didn’t mean to wake you up.” Asher immediately apologizes not missing the way that Olivia is squinting against the bright early morning sunlight as he hopes the reason is only because she is still half asleep but deep down, he has his suspicions that it’s from something else. “But I thought we could go grab some breakfast.” He explains quickly before she can shut the door in his face in an effort to shut him out once more.

“I’m not really hungry.” She says averting her gaze down to her bare feet that are starting to tingle as they wake up from being asleep after being tucked under her all night as she stayed awake most of the night on the couch with her blue water bottle filled with more vodka than water clutched tightly in her hands.

“How about some coffee then?” He tries again sending her a hopeful smile as he reaches for her hand giving it a soft squeeze.

“Sure.” She finally decides biting on her bottom lip before she turns around to slip on whichever shoes, she left by the front hall closet. “Promise me you’ll order me a double shot of espresso in my coffee?” She questions with a teasing smile to cover her wince from the headache that is pounding against her temples after they get into his car.

“Your wish is my command Liv.” He promises her with a wink feeling a little more at ease now that a smile has found its way once more across her beautiful features before he pulls out of the driveway.

Since it is only half-past eight o’clock on a Saturday morning, they find the café mostly empty and void of any of their friends or distractions which he is thankful for as he leads them toward a table near the windows they look out to the street.

_Finally, we can talk and hopefully, we can reconnect after spending the summer apart._ He thinks as they sit down across from each other as a waitress that isn’t Spencer comes over to give them laminated menus as they look over the choices in silence.

Asher orders some pancakes and orange juice while Oliva decides to stick to her usual coffee order.

“Are you sure you don’t want some pancakes?” Asher offers after the waitress brings him his plate as he hates to eat in front of her.

“The coffee is enough for me,” Olivia assures him with a slight smile before she drops her eyes down to the mug watching as the steam rises from the scalding hot liquid wishing that she had some alcohol to mix in with the caffeine.

“Are you expecting a call?” Asher questions after he finished his pancakes deciding to give her space to think after he takes a long sip of his orange juice, but he couldn’t take the silence any longer as he observes how Olivia has been staring down at her phone since the minute, they sat down across from each other at the small table.

“What? No.” Olivia tells him shaking her head as she blinks her eyes up from her phone to meet his.

“Oh, you’ve just been staring at it since we got here. So, if there is something that is on your mind I’m here to listen.” He offers laying his hand down palm up on the table as an invitation for her to take it.

“Sorry. It’s just that lately I’ve been feeling…” She starts to say before she trails off not knowing exactly what she has been feeling lately.

“Lonely.” He guesses feeling ashamed of himself for not paying closer attention to her over the summer and since he has gotten back to town.

“Yeah.” She admits with a sad smile as she wraps her hands around the mug of extra strong coffee.

“Well, you can consider yourself not lonely now because I am here fully.” He promises sending her a pointed look hoping that she’ll believe him.

“I hope so.” She tells him before she takes a drink of the warm dark roast coffee.

“I promise Liv.” He affirms pressing his lips into a firm line. “Is everything okay?” He asks grabbing ahold of her hand as he tries to catch her eyes that she keeps glued to the table.

“Yeah, everything is just fine,” Olivia says without even an attempt at a smile.

“Nope sorry Liv but that is my line,” Asher tells her at an attempt at joke, but it only falls flat as she keeps her eyes glued to the table. “A penny for your thoughts?” He offers after a beat of silence trying once more to get her to open up about whatever is obviously eating away at her.

“I think we should break up.” She whispers pulling her hand out of his grasp.

“What?” He asks in disbelief once he recovers from the shock of her words. “I thought we were okay.” He states leaning forward trying to grab onto her hand before she rests it in her lap far from his reach.

“Maybe you are but I’m not…” She exclaims trailing off as she gets up from her chair. “I'll be in the car.” She tells him instantly regretting that she didn’t drive her own car here with tears burning in her eyes before she turns away from his hurt expression leaving him alone at the table.

Asher watches her leave with his mouth hanging open with the memory of how months ago she had walked away from him when she had broken up with him for the first time as he thinks that this time it feels like that Olivia may not even want to look back again before he flags down the waitress to ask for the check.

_What the hell could be going on?_ He wonders as he sloppily signs his name on the bottom of the receipt after the waitress brings back his card before he chases after her in hopes that he can repair their broken relationship.

He lets out a heavy sigh before he pulls open the driver side car door plastering a small smile on his face that he knows doesn’t reach his eyes as he slides behind the wheel casting a cautious glance over to his girlfriend, no he’s ex-girlfriend he reminds himself before he shuts the car door.

“So, um do you want me to take you home or…” Asher inquires filling the tense atmosphere inside the car with something other than the sound of their unsynchronized breathing.

Olivia shakes her head without taking her eyes off the dashboard in front of her as she listens as Asher clicks on his seatbelt before she absent-mindedly follows suit.

“If you want to talk, I am still here willingly to listen.” Asher offers with his hand positioned on the gear shift not bothering to shift the car out of park and into reverse. “I mean we do have a three-mile drive before we get back to your house.” He tells her as his lips curl into an almost sad smile as the only response that she gives him is the shifting of her gaze from the dashboard to out the car window.

"Can we just drive for a while? I don't want to go home right now." Olivia wonders letting out a long breath. 

"Of course, we can Liv," Asher tells her before he backs out of his parking spot. 

“I’m not okay.” She admits after Asher parks his car and she vaguely registers that they are now sitting in the parking lot to the city park as she bites her bottom lip to keep the tears that are gathering in her eyes from falling.

“Liv, whatever is going on just tell me and I’ll help you.” He assures her turning in his seat so that he is facing her directly as their eyes meet fully for the first time since he picked her up at her house.

“Over the summer I—” She starts to reveal her summer secret that she is so ashamed of before he cuts off as her voice breaks off from the emotion in the back of her throat.

“It’s okay you can tell me.” He tells her sending her an encouraging smile as he wishes he could hold her hands that she has clenched tightly at her sides.

“I started drinking again and I threw almost two years of sobriety away…” She finally admits breaking down into tears that have been threatening to fall since she had first opened her front door to find him wearing a nervous and how happy and relieved, he had looked to see her.

“Liv, I had no idea. I’m so sorry.” He apologizes leaning closer to her as he places a cautious hand on her shoulder.

“You didn’t make me start drinking again.” She tells him trying to shrug off his hand, but he only tightens his grip slightly so that he can still hold onto her shoulder. 

“Yeah, but I’ve not actually done anything to make you want to stop either.” He explains hating how he has ignored her and how didn’t even realize that she had been drinking again. 

“Ash…” She says trailing off wishing that he would understand that she is the only one to blame for her losing her own sobriety.

“No, please Olivia hear me out. I put you through so much last year with my steroid usage and I know that I can never make that up to you. But please know even though we are broken up I want to still be here for you.” He exclaims as he gently uncurls her fingers that are balled into fists so that he can hold onto her hands as he smooths his thumbs along the half-moon imprints that her fingernails made into the soft skin of her palms.

“I need that.” She admits feeling a small weight lift off her chest that has been pressing down on her since the first drink of alcohol she took on the first night of summer vacation.

“I realize that now,” Asher tells her sending her a watery smile as tears blur his own vision. “Do you trust me?” He asks studying her face intently as she compassplants his question.

“Yeah.” She finally decides after a moment of silence passes between them watching how the golden sunlight shades his features making his eyes glimmer with hope. 

“Can we go for a walk?” He questions nodding toward the tree-lined trail at the park that leads to the grassy hill that overlooks the playground they use to play at together as kids. 

“Sure.” She answers before they get out of his car and she takes the hand of the boy that has been by her side since they met in first grade letting him lead her down this familiar pathway as memories of summer days from their childhood spent going down the slide resurface in her mind. “You brought me to the park” She observes with her eyes focused on the playground set that hasn’t changed since they were kids. 

“Well, I brought you here so we can sit on the hill that overlooks the park because it’s always been one of my favorite spots. And I thought it could be calming for you too.” He explains giving her hand a gentle squeeze as they start to climb up the hill that always seemed much steeper when they climbed it as kids. 

“Thanks.” She whispers touched by his thoughtfulness before she gently eases her hand out of his so that she can tuck a long lock her dark curly hair behind her ear before they sit down in the green grass.

“You’re welcome.” He whispers back following her gaze out toward the kids playing down below having the time of their lives as he wishes in some ways that they were still kids themselves without the worries of the world weighing them down.

But within a blink of an eye, their childhood has ended.

And in its wake, they are now left staring at adulthood straight in the face. 

And for the most part, he hasn’t liked what it looks like so far from where they are standing in between the two stages of life.

“Why is this one of your favorite places?” Olivia asks generally curious since she knows that she and Jordan haven’t been here since they were like ten.

“I would come here when my mom and dad were fighting or when my dad was drinking,” Asher explains with a sad smile as he remembers all those evenings, he would spend sitting in this exact spot alone watching the sun sink lower and lower toward the horizon line until he had to walk home guided by the lights from the streetlamps.

“Oh, Ash I didn’t know that. Why didn’t you come to our house?” She asks feeling guilt course through her that she had no idea about where and how he was spending his evenings when he wasn’t at their house.

“You all would have gotten tired of me because I pretty much came every day for like three years.” He tells her feeling her eyes searching his face but he doesn’t take his eyes off the kids running freely on the playground.

“There’s no way we would have gotten tired of you.” She states taking his hand in her own.

“You know what hurt more than anything was how when I would come back home after dark my parents had never even noticed that I was gone.” He says with a hint of sadness in his voice as he had wanted just for once for his mom and dad to be worried about him when he walked through the front door and to hug him and to be glad that he made it home safe.

But they never cared enough to notice.

“I’m so sorry Ash. But if it makes you feel any better, I missed you this summer.” Olivia tells him giving his hand a gentle squeeze.

“I missed you too Liv,” Asher exclaims swallowing against the lump in his throat. “And as much as it hurts to not be with you that’s what I am going to do because I have spent enough time not listening to what you want.” He explains holding her gaze as the kids’ excited shrieks from down below them rings in his ears above the sound of his loud heartbeat.

“I don’t want to break up though,” Olivia admits scooting across the grass until their thighs are pressed together as she reaches for his other hand.

“Oh...” He says looking down at his hands that now have the warmth of her hands wrapped around them once more.

“It’s that I was just scared you would hate me when you found out that I lost my sobriety.” She explains with a soft smile when he flicks his gaze back up to meet her own.

“Olivia Baker listen to me please.” He says with desperation edging into his voice hoping that she listens to what he has to tell her. “There is no way in hell that I could ever hate you. I love way too much for that.” He affirms holding tightly to her hands that are still clutching just as tightly to his own.

“You do?” She questions unable to hide the uncertainty from her voice or her face.

“Absolutely.” He states with a determined nod never breaking their eye contact.

“What if I told you I have fallen in love with you.” She says with her signature sweet smile spreading across her face and he swears that it is the most beautiful sight he has ever seen.

“And what if I told you that I have fallen in love with you too.” He says back leaning in close until their faces are just centimeters apart.

“If you don’t want me to kiss you then please say something now.” She whispers with her lips almost brushing against his lips as she speaks.

Unlike months again when they stood in the water pooling from the fountain, he doesn’t pretend to lock his lips and throw away the key but instead, he presses a feather-light kiss to her soft lips as a promise that he is always going to be right here for her.

_I’m never leaving you again_. He seals his promise as he deepens their kiss, and she slips her hands out of his so that she can thread her fingers through his hair before she pulls him in close.

_I’m right here_.

**Author's Note:**

> So, I would love to know what y'all thought about this story that I hope that you have enjoyed reading! <3
> 
> If you did enjoy this part of the series, then please leave me a comment with your thoughts and/or a kudos!
> 
> Your guy's comments and kudos make my day and make me smile! 💛
> 
> P.S. Thank y'all so much for reading this series and for showing it so much love! <3


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